Wellbeing

In addition to my role as Director of Wellbeing, I also have the opportunity to teach students English. One experience that I never tire from is opening the cover of a new book, with the feel of crisp pages on the fingers. One growing trend I have witnessed over the years is the decline in students reading for enjoyment with paper copy texts, a way to carry themselves away from the busy demands of on-screen time. Research recently published from the OECD on 21st Century Readers points to improved performance by those students who engage with both print and digital copy texts. Similarly, research conducted in Australia (Underwood, ACER, 2021) indicates that despite 78% of 15-year-old boys believing they are good readers, only 24% consider reading a favourite hobby, with 38% indicating that reading is a waste of time. With the term break approaching in a few weeks, it is an opportune time for a visit to the local book shop or local library to pick up some paper copy texts to read for relaxation and enjoyment over the holidays.

There are lots of great resources available to parents/carers in helping their sons navigate adolescence. Two resources that I have found useful in recent years are from the Generation Next organisation: the books Growing Happy, Healthy Young Minds and Nurturing Young Minds. They have collated material from past presenters at the Generation Next Conferences into an anthology of chapters focusing on a variety of wellbeing strands.

Finally, I would like to share some highly rated podcasts that I have listened to relating to student wellbeing:

Understanding Why Boys and Young Men Disengage - Maggie Hamilton at https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-sxfv6-6b2594

Healthy Media Consumption - Practical Strategies - Dr Glenn Cupit at https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-46ri4-8ebadb

Robert Simpson

Director of Wellbeing

Year 9 Dodgeball

On Friday 26 August, two teams took part in the Year 9 Dodgeball Grand Final in the College Gymnasium. After a long and brutal group knockout stage consisting of 5 rounds, it was the teams Alpha and Johnny KR United who had progressed through, both not dropping a single match enroute to the final. Despite being down 3 players to the opposition’s 6 at one point in the match, it was Johnny KR United who ultimately took the tightly contested fixture to be crowned Year 9 Dodgeball Champions. Congratulations to Charlie Gray, Joshua Malone, Mathew Plunkett, Thomas Charles, Wade Bitar, Dominic Toomey, Jack Taylor, William Allen, and head coach Jack Kyle-Robinson who will all be receiving a set of tickets to an upcoming NRL fixture as a prize. Thank you to all boys involved as well as Mr Milheiro, Mr Sinadinos, and the P.E staff for making the tournament possible.

Dominic Short

Year 9 Student